Table of the Revised Cognitive Domain

Examples, key words (verbs), and technologies for

Category
learning (activities)

Examples: Recite a policy. Quote prices from memory to a

customer. Recite the safety rules.

Key Words: defines, describes, identifies, knows, labels,

Remembering: Recall or retrieve previous
lists, matches, names, outlines, recalls, recognizes,
learned information.
reproduces, selects, states

Technologies: book marking, flash cards, rote learning based

on repetition, reading

Examples: Rewrite the principles of test writing. Explain in

one's own words the steps for performing a complex task.
Translate an equation into a computer spreadsheet.
Understanding: Comprehending the meaning,
Key Words: comprehends, converts, defends, distinguishes,
translation, interpolation, and interpretation of
estimates, explains, extends, generalizes, gives an example,
instructions and problems. State a problem in
infers, interprets, paraphrases, predicts, rewrites, summarizes,
one's own words.
translates

Technologies: create an analogy, participating in cooperative

learning, taking notes, storytelling, Internet search

Examples: Use a manual to calculate an employee's vacation

time. Apply laws of statistics to evaluate the reliability of a
written test.
Applying: Use a concept in a new situation or
unprompted use of an abstraction. Applies Key Words: applies, changes, computes, constructs,
what was learned in the classroom into novel demonstrates, discovers, manipulates, modifies, operates,
situations in the work place. predicts, prepares, produces, relates, shows, solves, uses

Technologies: collaborative learning, create a process, blog,

practice

Examples: Troubleshoot a piece of equipment by using

logical deduction. Recognize logical fallacies in
reasoning. Gathers information from a department and selects
the required tasks for training.
Analyzing: Separates material or concepts into
component parts so that its organizational Key Words: analyzes, breaks down, compares,
structure may be understood. Distinguishes contrasts, diagrams, deconstructs, differentiates,
between facts and inferences. discriminates, distinguishes, identifies, illustrates, infers,
outlines, relates, selects, separates

Technologies: Fishbowls, debating, questioning what

happened, run a test
 Examples: Select the most effective solution. Hire the most
qualified candidate. Explain and justify a new budget.

Key Words: appraises, compares, concludes, contrasts,

Evaluating: Make judgments about the value
criticizes, critiques, defends, describes, discriminates,
of ideas or materials.
evaluates, explains, interprets, justifies, relates, summarizes,
supports

Technologies: survey, blogging

Examples: Write a company operations or process manual.

Design a machine to perform a specific task. Integrates
training from several sources to solve a problem. Revises and
process to improve the outcome.
Creating: Builds a structure or pattern from
diverse elements. Put parts together to form a Key Words: categorizes, combines, compiles, composes,
whole, with emphasis on creating a new creates, devises, designs, explains, generates, modifies,
meaning or structure. organizes, plans, rearranges, reconstructs, relates,
reorganizes, revises, rewrites, summarizes, tells, writes

Technologies: Create a new model, write an essay, network

with others

The affective domain is one of three domains in Bloom's Taxonomy, with the other two being the cognitive and
psychomotor (Bloom, et al., 1956). For an overview of the three domains, see the introduction.

The affective domain (Krathwohl, Bloom, Masia, 1973) includes the manner in which we deal with things
emotionally, such as feelings, values, appreciation, enthusiasms, motivations, and attitudes. The five major
categories are listed from the simplest behavior to the most complex:

Category Example and Key Words (verbs)

Examples: Listen to others with respect. Listen for

and remember the name of newly introduced people.
Receiving Phenomena: Awareness, willingness to
hear, selected attention.
Key Words: acknowledge, asks, attentive, courteous,
dutiful, follows, gives, listens, understands

Examples: Participates in class discussions. Gives a

presentation. Questions new ideals, concepts, models,
Responds to Phenomena: Active participation on the
etc. in order to fully understand them. Know the
part of the learners. Attend and react to a particular
safety rules and practice them.
phenomenon. Learning outcomes may emphasize
compliance in responding, willingness to respond, or
Key Words: answers, assists, aids, complies,
satisfaction in responding (motivation).
conforms, discusses, greets, helps, labels, performs,
presents, tells

Valuing: The worth or value a person attaches to a Examples: Demonstrates belief in the democratic
particular object, phenomenon, or behavior. This process. Is sensitive towards individual and cultural
ranges from simple acceptance to the more complex differences (value diversity). Shows the ability to
state of commitment. Valuing is based on the solve problems. Proposes a plan to social
internalization of a set of specified values, while clues improvement and follows through with commitment.
to these values are expressed in the learner's overt Informs management on matters that one feels
behavior and are often identifiable. strongly about.

Key Words: appreciates, cherish, treasure,

demonstrates, initiates, invites, joins, justifies,
proposes, respect, shares

Examples: Recognizes the need for balance between

freedom and responsible behavior. Explains the role
Organization: Organizes values into priorities by of systematic planning in solving problems. Accepts
contrasting different values, resolving conflicts professional ethical standards. Creates a life plan in
between them, and creating an unique value system. harmony with abilities, interests, and beliefs.
The emphasis is on comparing, relating, and Prioritizes time effectively to meet the needs of the
synthesizing values. organization, family, and self.

Key Words: compares, relates, synthesizes

Examples: Shows self-reliance when working

independently. Cooperates in group activities
(displays teamwork). Uses an objective approach in
Internalizes Values (characterization): Has a value problem solving. Displays a professional
system that controls their behavior. The behavior is commitment to ethical practice on a daily basis.
pervasive, consistent, predictable, and most important Revises judgments and changes behavior in light of
characteristic of the learner. Instructional objectives are new evidence. Values people for what they are, not
concerned with the student's general patterns of how they look.
adjustment (personal, social, emotional).
Key Words: acts, discriminates, displays, influences,
modifies, performs, qualifies, questions, revises,
serves, solves, verifies

The psychomotor domain (Simpson, 1972) includes physical movement, coordination, and use of the motor-
skill areas. Development of these skills requires practice and is measured in terms of speed, precision, distance,
procedures, or techniques in execution. Thus, psychomotor skills rage from manual tasks, such as digging a
ditch or washing a car, to more complex tasks, such as operating a complex piece of machinery or dancing.

The seven major categories are listed from the simplest behavior to the most complex:

Category Example and Key Words (verbs)

Examples: Detects non-verbal communication cues.

Estimate where a ball will land after it is thrown and
Perception (awareness): The ability to use sensory then moving to the correct location to catch the ball.
cues to guide motor activity. This ranges from Adjusts heat of stove to correct temperature by smell
sensory stimulation, through cue selection, to and taste of food. Adjusts the height of the forks on a
translation. forklift by comparing where the forks are in relation to
the pallet.
 Key Words: chooses, describes, detects, differentiates,
distinguishes, identifies, isolates, relates, selects.

Examples: Knows and acts upon a sequence of steps

in a manufacturing process. Recognize one's abilities
and limitations. Shows desire to learn a new process
Set: Readiness to act. It includes mental, physical,
(motivation). NOTE: This subdivision of Psychomotor
and emotional sets. These three sets are dispositions
is closely related with the Responding to phenomena
that predetermine a person's response to different
subdivision of the Affective domain.
situations (sometimes called mindsets).
Key Words: begins, displays, explains, moves,
proceeds, reacts, shows, states, volunteers.

Examples: Performs a mathematical equation as

demonstrated. Follows instructions to build a model.
Guided Response: The early stages in learning a
Responds hand-signals of instructor while learning to
complex skill that includes imitation and trial and
operate a forklift.
error. Adequacy of performance is achieved by
practicing.
Key Words: copies, traces, follows, react, reproduce,
responds

Examples: Use a personal computer. Repair a leaking

Mechanism (basic proficiency): This is the faucet. Drive a car.
intermediate stage in learning a complex
skill. Learned responses have become habitual and Key Words: assembles, calibrates, constructs,
the movements can be performed with some dismantles, displays, fastens, fixes, grinds, heats,
confidence and proficiency. manipulates, measures, mends, mixes, organizes,
sketches.

Examples: Maneuvers a car into a tight parallel

Complex Overt Response (Expert): The skillful parking spot. Operates a computer quickly and
performance of motor acts that involve complex accurately. Displays competence while playing the
movement patterns. Proficiency is indicated by a piano.
quick, accurate, and highly coordinated performance,
requiring a minimum of energy. This category Key Words: assembles, builds, calibrates, constructs,
includes performing without hesitation, and dismantles, displays, fastens, fixes, grinds, heats,
automatic performance. For example, players are manipulates, measures, mends, mixes, organizes,
often utter sounds of satisfaction or expletives as sketches.
soon as they hit a tennis ball or throw a football,
because they can tell by the feel of the act what the NOTE: The Key Words are the same as Mechanism,
result will produce. but will have adverbs or adjectives that indicate that the
performance is quicker, better, more accurate, etc.

Examples: Responds effectively to unexpected

experiences. Modifies instruction to meet the needs of
the learners. Perform a task with a machine that it was
Adaptation: Skills are well developed and the
not originally intended to do (machine is not damaged
individual can modify movement patterns to fit
and there is no danger in performing the new task).
special requirements.
Key Words: adapts, alters, changes, rearranges,
reorganizes, revises, varies.
 Examples: Constructs a new theory. Develops a new
Origination: Creating new movement patterns to fit and comprehensive training programming. Creates a
a particular situation or specific problem. Learning new gymnastic routine.
outcomes emphasize creativity based upon highly
developed skills. Key Words: arranges, builds, combines, composes,
constructs, creates, designs, initiate, makes, originates.